Multi-fire push rod stapling device

ABSTRACT

A surgical stapling device includes a housing and a plurality of cartridges that are coupled together to form a barrel that is rotatably supported within the housing. Each of the cartridges defines a plurality of staple pockets, each supporting a staple. An anvil is coupled to the housing and is movable in relation to the barrel between an open position and a clamped position. A guide shaft extends through the housing and through the barrel. The guide shaft supports a sled and a clamping member. The sled is configured to translate through the barrel to eject the staples from an active cartridge of the plurality of cartridges in response to actuation of a push rod. After firing staples from the active cartridge, the sled and the guide shaft are configured to index or rotate the barrel within the housing to move a second cartridge of the plurality of cartridges to the active position upon retraction and subsequent movement of the sled through a second firing stroke.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/166,969 filed May 27, 2015, the entiredisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical stapling devicefor applying surgical fasteners to body tissue. More particularly, thepresent disclosure relates to an endoscopic surgical stapling devicehaving a plurality of staple cartridges that are sequentially moved intoalignment with an anvil assembly to allow a clinician to fire thestapling device a plurality of times without removing the staplingdevice from the surgical site.

Background of Related Art

Surgical stapling devices for joining tissue sections are commonly usedin surgical procedures. The use of surgical stapling devices as comparedto traditional stitching techniques reduces the time required to joinand/or cut tissue, thus, reducing the time required to perform asurgical procedure. Reducing the time required to perform a surgicalprocedure minimizes the time a patient must be anesthetized and, thusminimizes trauma to the patient.

During endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures in which surgery isperformed through small incisions or through narrow cannulas insertedthrough the small incisions in the skin, replacement of the staplecartridge or the loading unit, after firing requires removal of thesurgical stapling device from the incision or cannula, replacement ofthe staple cartridge and/or loading unit and reinsertion of the surgicalstapling device into the incision or cannula. This process increases thetime required to perform the surgical procedure and increases thelikelihood of infection.

It would be advantageous to provide a staple cartridge or loading unitthat is capable of being fired a plurality of times before replacementof the staple cartridge or loading unit is required.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides in one aspect a surgical stapling devicehaving a housing and a plurality of cartridges coupled together to forma barrel that is rotatably supported within the housing. Each of thecartridges defines a plurality of staple pockets and supports aplurality of staples. An anvil is pivotally coupled to the housing andis movable in relation to the barrel between an open position and aclamped position. Each of the cartridges is sequentially movable into anactive position in alignment with the anvil. A guide shaft is rotatablysupported within the housing and is rotatably coupled to the barrel suchthat rotational movement of the guide shaft causes correspondingrotational movement of the barrel. A sled is movably positioned withinthe housing to translate through the barrel to eject the staples from afirst cartridge of the plurality of cartridges in the active position.The sled and the guide shaft are configured such that movement of thesled from a fully retracted position through a firing stroke and aretraction stroke causes the barrel to rotate to move a second cartridgeof the plurality of cartridges to the active position.

In some embodiments, the plurality of cartridges includes threecartridges.

In certain embodiments, the guide shaft defines at least one cam channelthat includes at least one guide surface and the sled includes a cammember. The cam member is movable into engagement with the at least oneguide surface to rotate the barrel to move the second cartridge of theplurality of cartridges to the active position.

In embodiments, the at least one guide surface includes first and secondguide surfaces and the cam member is positioned to engage the firstguide surface during the firing stroke and to engage the second guidesurface during the retraction stroke.

In some embodiments, engagement of the first guide surface of the guideshaft with the cam member of the sled moves the barrel through a firstindexing step and engagement of the second guide surface of the guideshaft with the cam member of the sled moves the barrel through a secondindexing step, wherein each of the first and second indexing stepsrotates the barrel β degrees, wherein β is equal 360 divided by 2x,wherein x is the number of cartridges of the plurality of cartridges.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of cartridges includes threecartridges and each of the indexing steps rotates the barrel 60 degrees.

In embodiments, a push rod has a distal end operatively connected to thesled such that distal movement of the push rod causes distal movement ofthe sled.

In some embodiments, a clamping member is operatively connected to thepush rod such that distal movement of the push rod causes distalmovement of the sled and the clamping member.

In certain embodiments, the sled includes a plurality of pusher fingersand each of the cartridges defines a plurality of slots that communicatewith the plurality of staple pockets. The plurality of pusher fingersare positioned to translate through the plurality of slots of thecartridge positioned in the active position to eject the plurality ofstaples from the cartridge in the active position.

In embodiments, the clamping member includes a hub positioned about theguide shaft, a vertical strut extending radially outwardly of the huband a beam supported on an end of the vertical strut and extendingtransversely of the vertical strut. Each of the cartridges of theplurality of cartridges and the anvil define a knife slot. The verticalstrut is positioned to extend through the knife slots of the cartridgein the active position and of the anvil to position the beam inengagement with an outer surface of the anvil such that distal movementof the clamping member within the cartridge assembly causes the anvil tomove from the open position to the clamped position.

In some embodiments, the sled and the clamping member definelongitudinal channels and the push rod includes distally extendingrails, wherein the distally extending rails are received within thelongitudinal channels of the sled and the clamping member to secure thepush rod to the sled and the clamping member.

In certain embodiments, the longitudinal channels of the clamping memberhave a height that is greater than the height of the rails of the pushrod such that the clamping member is movable about the guide shaft tomove the beam of the clamping member in relation to the cartridgeassembly.

In embodiments, a mounting member is secured to the proximal end of thehousing and to a proximal end of the anvil by a pivot pin.

In embodiments, the mounting member defines an elongated slot thatreceives the pivot pin and the cartridge housing defines an elongatedthrough bore that receives the pivot pin. The pivot pin is movablewithin the elongated slot of the mounting member and the elongatedthrough bore of the cartridge housing to facilitate movement of thepivot pin and the proximal end of the anvil in relation to the proximalend of the mounting member and the proximal end of the cartridgehousing.

In embodiments, the activation device includes a handle and an adaptorsupported on a distal end of the handle and the surgical stapling deviceis supported on a distal end of the adaptor.

The present disclosure provides in another aspect a surgical staplinginstrument including an activation device and a surgical staplingdevice. The surgical stapling device has a housing and a plurality ofcartridges coupled together to form a barrel that is rotatably supportedwithin the housing. Each of the cartridges defines a plurality of staplepockets and supports a plurality of staples. An anvil is pivotallycoupled to the housing and is movable in relation to the barrel betweenan open position and a clamped position. Each of the cartridges issequentially movable into an active position in alignment with theanvil. A guide shaft is rotatably supported within the housing and isrotatably coupled to the barrel such that rotational movement of theguide shaft causes corresponding rotational movement of the barrel. Asled is movably positioned within the housing to translate through thebarrel to eject the staples from a first cartridge of the plurality ofcartridges in the active position. The sled and the guide shaft areconfigured such that movement of the sled through at least one of afiring stroke and a retraction stroke causes the barrel to rotate tomove a second cartridge of the plurality of cartridges to the activeposition.

In embodiments, the handle is electrically powered.

In some embodiments, each of the cartridges of the plurality ofcartridges has a chip including an integrated circuit and the handleincludes a processor which can read the chip of each of the cartridgesof the plurality of cartridges to identify whether each cartridge of theplurality of cartridges has been fired.

In certain embodiments, the handle includes an LED screen for indicatingthe current status of the surgical stapling device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the presently disclosed surgical stapling deviceare described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view from the distal end of one embodimentof the presently disclosed surgical stapling device with the anvilassembly in a clamped position;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view from the proximal end of the surgicalstapling device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the surgical stapling deviceshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side exploded, perspective view of one of the cartridges ofthe surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view through a portion of the cartridgeshown in FIG. 4 with the staples positioned in the staple pockets of thecartridge;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of one of the staples of thecartridges shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from the distal end of the sled of thesurgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a side, perspective, exploded view of the internal componentsof the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 including the guideshaft, the sled, the clamping member, and the distal end of the pushrod;

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of the surgical stapling device shownin FIG. 1 with the housing, barrel and mounting assembly removed;

FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of the indicated area of detail shown inFIG. 9;

FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the housing removed;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis ofthe surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the push rod in aretracted position;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis ofthe surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the push rod in aretracted position and the surgical stapling device articulated;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 12-12 of FIG.10;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the indicated area of detail shown inFIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side perspective exploded view of the guide shaft andbarrel of the surgical stapling device;

FIG. 15 is a side perspective view of the surgical stapling device shownin FIG. 1 with the housing removed and the push rod;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 16-16 of FIG.15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the indicated area of detail shown inFIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the surgical stapling device in the parkedposition;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the housing and barrel removed and thesurgical stapling device in the parked position;

FIG. 19A is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 19A-19A ofFIG. 19;

FIG. 20 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the surgical stapling device in the open jawposition;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the housing and barrel removed and the jawsof the surgical stapling device in the open position;

FIG. 22 is a side perspective view of the surgical stapling device shownin FIG. 1 with the jaws of the surgical stapling device in the openposition;

FIG. 23 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the surgical stapling device in the clampedposition;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the proximal end of the surgical staplingdevice shown in FIG. 1 with the housing and barrel removed and thesurgical stapling device in the clamped position;

FIG. 25 is a side perspective view of the surgical stapling device shownin FIG. 1 in the clamped position;

FIG. 26 is a side view of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1as the surgical stapling device is being fired;

FIG. 27 is a side cross-sectional view of the proximal end of thesurgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 as the surgical stapling deviceis being fired;

FIG. 28 is a side perspective view of the surgical stapling device shownin FIG. 1 after firing as the push rod is being retracted during a firstindexing stage;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged view of the indicated area of detail shown inFIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged view of the indicted area of detail shown in FIG.29 after retraction of the push rod is complete and during a subsequentadvancement of the push rod and a second indexing stage; and

FIG. 31 is a schematic view of an actuation device suitable for use withthe surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are now described in detail withreference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. Asused herein, the term “clinician” refers to a doctor, a nurse, or anyother care provider and may include support personnel. Throughout thisdescription, the term “proximal” refers to the portion of the device orcomponent thereof that is closest to the clinician and the term “distal”refers to the portion of the device or component thereof that isfarthest from the clinician. In addition, the term “endoscopicprocedures” as used herein refers to any procedure performed through asmall incision in the skin or through one or more cannulas andencompasses laparoscopic procedures, arthroscopic procedures, etc.

As described in detail below, the presently disclosed surgical staplingdevice includes a barrel, formed by a plurality of cartridges connectedto each other, that is rotatably supported within a cartridge housing orchannel. Each cartridge supports an array of staples and is movablewithin the cartridge housing to an active position in alignment with ananvil. A sled and a clamping member are supported on a guide shaft formovement through the barrel to engage staples supported within thecartridge in the active position, i.e., the active cartridge, to ejectthe staples from the cartridge. The guide shaft and the sled areconfigured to index or rotate the barrel after each use of the surgicalstapling device to position a fresh cartridge in the active position tofacilitate refiring of the stapling device.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of the presently disclosedsurgical stapling device shown generally as 10. The surgical staplingdevice 10 includes a cartridge assembly 12 including a channel orhousing 14, an anvil 16 pivotally secured to the housing 14 about afirst axis “A”, a mounting assembly 18, a push rod 20 and anarticulation rod 21. The housing 14 defines a chamber 22 (FIG. 27) thatis dimensioned to rotatably receive a cylindrical barrel 24 (FIG. 14)described in detail below. The anvil 16 and the cartridge assembly 12define a tool assembly 26 that is pivotally coupled to the mountingassembly 18.

Referring to FIG. 3, the anvil 16 has a proximal end having an outersurface defining a concavity 16 a and a pair of spaced flanges 28. Eachof the spaced flanges 28 defines an opening 22 a that receives a pivotpin 30 to pivotally secure the anvil 16 to the housing 14 of thecartridge assembly 12. The concavity 16 a is configured to receive abeam 126 of a clamping member 40 to facilitate movement of the toolassembly 26 to an open position as described in detail below. The anvil14 defines a plurality of staple deforming recesses 32, and a knife slot34 that is positioned to receive a knife 37 as described in detailbelow.

The cartridge assembly 12 includes a guide shaft 36, a sled 38 and theclamping member 40 which are movably supported about the guide shaft 36,a push rod 42 and a plurality of cartridges 44 that are connectedtogether to define the cylindrical barrel 24 (FIG. 14). Although threecartridges 44 are shown, it is envisioned that the barrel 24 can beformed from two or more cartridges 44, e.g., 2, 4, 5, etc. The cartridgehousing 14 has a proximal end 46 that defines a bracket 48 and atransverse through bore 50 that receives the pivot pin 30 to secure theanvil 16 to the cartridge housing 14. Lock washers 30 a are provided oneach end of the pivot pin 30 to secure the pivot pin to the housing 14within the through bore 50. The through bore 50 is elongated such thatthe pivot pin 30 can move within the through bore 50 to allow theproximal end of the anvil 16 to move toward and away from the barrel 24of the cartridge assembly 12 as described below. The bracket 48 definesan opening 52 that receives a pin 54 formed on an upper member 56 of themounting assembly 18 to secure the cartridge assembly 12 to the mountingassembly 18. The bracket 48 is received in a recess 56 a in the uppermember 56 to fixedly secure the cartridge housing 14 to the mountingassembly 18.

The mounting assembly 18 includes the upper member 56 and a lower member58. As discussed above, the upper member 56 is secured to the bracket 48of the cartridge housing 14 by the pin 54. The lower member 58 of themounting assembly 18 is secured to the upper member 56 by a pair of pins60. More specifically, each of the upper and lower members 56 and 58defines openings 64 that receive the pins 60 to secure the upper andlower members 56 and 58 together. One of the pins 60 is positionedthrough an opening 66 in a distal end of the articulation rod 21 tosecure the articulation rod 21 to the mounting assembly 18. As describedbelow in further detail, linear movement of the articulation rod 21pivots the mounting assembly 18 and the tool assembly 26 about an axistransverse to axis “A” (FIG. 1) The lower member 58 of the mountingassembly 18 defines two spaced elongated slots 68 that receive the pivotpin 30. The elongated slots 68 allow the pivot pin 30 to move within theslots 68 to allow the proximal end of the anvil 16 to move toward andaway from the proximal end of the cartridge assembly 12 as describedbelow.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, each cartridge 44 includes a cartridge body70 defining a plurality of rows of staple pockets 72 and a knife slot74. Each staple pocket 72 supports a staple as described in detailbelow. In embodiments, the body 70 defines three linear rows of staplepockets 72 on each side of the knife slot 74. Alternately, the body 70may define one or more rows of staple pockets 72 on each side of theknife slot 74. Each cartridge body 70 has a distal end defining twospaced blind bores 76, and a coupling member 80 positioned on each ofthe side edges of the cartridge body 70. In embodiments, the couplingmember 80 includes a dove-tail projection 80 a positioned along one sideedge of the cartridge body 70 and a dove-tail groove 80 b positionedalong an opposite side edge of the cartridge body 70 (FIG. 9B). Thedove-tail projections 80 a and grooves 80 b facilitate attachment ofeach cartridge 44 to adjacent cartridges 44 to define the cylindricalbarrel 24 (FIG. 9B). The blind bores 76 at the distal end of eachcartridge 44 receive the legs 84 a of an end cap 84 of the guide shaft36 to secure the cartridges 26 in a radially and axially fixed positionin relation to each other and to rotatably fix the guide shaft 36 to thebarrel 24. The end cap 84 is fixedly secured to the distal end of theguide shaft 36 such that rotation of the guide shaft 36 causes rotationof the barrel 24. In addition, the end cap 84 is rotatably supported inthe distal end of the housing 14 of the cartridge assembly 12 torotatably support the guide shaft 36 within the housing 14. The innersurface of the housing 14 of the cartridge assembly 12 includes anannular flange 14 a (FIG. 13) that retains the barrel 24 in a distal endof the housing 14.

Each cartridge body 70 defines a plurality of slots 86 (FIG. 9B),wherein each slot 86 is aligned with a row of staples 90. In theillustrated embodiment, each cartridge body 70 defines three rows ofstaples 90 on each side of the knife slot 74 and, thus, defines threeslots 86 on each side of the knife slot 74.

Referring also to FIG. 6, each staple pocket 72 has a curved distal wall92, a curved proximal wall 94 and angled shelf 96 that extends betweenthe distal and proximal walls 92, 94. Each of the staples 90 includesthe backspan 90 a, a first leg 90 b and a second leg 90 c. The shelf 96supports the backspan 90 a of the staple 90. The first leg 90 b extendsfrom one end of the backspan 90 a and is elongated and curved. When astaple 90 is supported in the staple pocket 72, the first leg 90 b ispositioned adjacent to the curved distal wall 92 of a respective staplepocket 72. The second leg 90 c has a length that is substantiallyshorter than the length of the first leg 90 b and is positioned adjacentthe proximal wall 94 of the staple pocket 72. In embodiments, the firstleg 90 b has a length between 2 and 10 times greater than the length ofthe second leg 90 c. In certain embodiments, the first leg 90 b has alength between 4 and 8 times greater than the length of the second leg90 c. The backspan 90 a of each staple 90 has a triangular or V-shapedconfiguration and includes a central portion that is offset from acommon plane defined by the first and second legs 90 b, 90 c of thestaple 90. As such, the backspan 90 a extends outwardly of the shelf 96of the staple pocket 72 and into a respective slot 86 defined by thecartridge body 70 such that movement of pusher fingers 100 of the sled38 through the slots 86 of the cartridge body 70 causes the staples 90to be ejected from the staple pockets 72 as described in detail below.

The presently disclosed staple geometry facilitates deformation of thestaple 90 from a non-deformed configuration to a deformed or closedconfiguration (FIG. 27) by deforming only the first, elongated leg 90 btowards the shorter leg 90 c. This eliminates the need for pushers thatengage the backspan of staples, as are conventional in the prior art, todeform the staples 90. It is envisioned that the second leg 90 c may becompletely removed from the staple 90.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9B, the sled 38 includes a hub 102, a plurality offins 104, and the plurality of pusher fingers 100. The hub 102 defines alongitudinal bore 106 that receives the guide shaft 36 (FIG. 9). A cammember 108 is formed on an inner wall of the hub 102 within thelongitudinal bore 106. The cam member 108 is configured to operativelyengage the guide shaft 36 to effect indexing of the barrel 24 asdescribed in detail below.

The plurality of pusher fingers 100 and the fins 104 of the sled 38extend radially outwardly from the hub 102. Each of the plurality offingers 100 is received within and is translatable through a respectiveslot 86 defined within the cartridge body 70 and is translatable throughthe slot 86 (FIG. 9B) in response to movement of the sled 38 about theguide shaft 36 to eject a row of the staples 90 (FIG. 4) from thecartridge body 70. Each of the fins 104 is positioned to translatethrough the knife slot 74 of a respective one of the cartridges 44 toprevent rotation of the barrel 24 in relation to the sled 38 as the toolassembly 26 is being fired. When the sled 38 is in a retracted position,the fins 104 are spaced proximally of the knife slots 74 such that thebarrel 24 is rotatable in relation to the sled 38.

Each of the fins 104 supports a retainer 110 on its outer periphery. Inembodiments, each retainer 110 includes a screw or rivet that isreceived within a bore 114 (FIG. 8) defined in an outer surface of oneof the fins 104. The retainers 110 extend through elongated slots 116(FIG. 1) in the cartridge housing 14 to prevent the sled 38 fromrotating in relation to the cartridge housing 14. Each of the retainers110 may include an enlarged head 110 a that has a width that is greaterthan the width of the slots 116 to prevent the retainer 110 from beingdisengaged from the housing 14.

In embodiments, the sled 38 also defines a pair of longitudinal channels111 that extend from a proximal end of the sled 38 at least partiallythrough the sled 38. The channels 111 are provided to facilitatesecurement of the sled 38 to the push rod 42 as described in detailbelow.

The clamping member 40 includes a hub 120 defining a longitudinal bore122, and a vertical strut 124 and protrusions 125 that extend radiallyoutward from the hub 120. A beam 126 is supported on the outer end ofthe vertical strut 124. The vertical strut 124 is dimensioned to extendthrough the knife slot 74 (FIG. 4) of an active cartridge 44 of theplurality of cartridges 44. As used herein, the term “active cartridge”refers to the cartridge 44 of the plurality of cartridges 44 that iscurrently aligned with the anvil 16. The beam 126 is supported on thevertical strut 124 to engage an outer surface of the anvil 16 as theclamp member 40 is moved distally through the cartridge assembly 12 tomove the anvil 16 from an open position to a clamped position inrelation to the cartridge assembly 12 and to define a maximum tissue gapbetween the cartridge assembly 14 and anvil 16 during firing.

The protrusions 125 of the clamping member 40 are positioned to engageledges 58 a (FIG. 3) formed on the inner walls of the lower mountingmember 58 (FIG. 3) of the mounting assembly 18 when the clamping member40 is in a fully retracted position. Engagement of the protrusions 125with the ledges 58 a moves the beam 126 of the clamping member 40towards the cartridge assembly 12 to move the anvil 16 towards thecartridge assembly 12 and position the anvil 16 and the cartridgeassembly 12 in a parked or closely approximated position as describedbelow.

The clamping member 40 also defines longitudinal channels 128 that arealigned with the longitudinal channels 111 of the sled 38. Thelongitudinal channels 111 and 128 of the sled 38 and clamping member 40,respectively, receive rails 130 (FIG. 8) that extend from the distal endof the push rod 42 to secure the push rod 42 to the sled 38 and theclamping member 40. In embodiments, the channels 111 of the sled 38 areconfigured to receive the rails 130 of the push rod 42 to secure thepush rod 42 to the sled 38 such that axial movement of the push rod 42is translated into axial movement of the sled 38. In contrast, thechannels 128 of the clamping member 40 have a height that is greaterthan the height of the rails 130 (FIG. 19A) to allow the clamping member40 to move upwardly about the rails 130 when the protrusions 125 of theclamping member 40 engage the ledges 58 a of the lower mounting member58 (FIG. 3) to facilitate movement of the tool assembly 26 of thesurgical stapling device 10 to a parked position as described in furtherdetail below. Since the clamping member 40 is positioned between thedistal end of the push rod 42 and the proximal end of the sled 38, axialmovement of the push rod 42 is also translated to axial movement of theclamping member 40. The rails 130 can be secured to the sled 38 usingany of a variety of fastening techniques including sonic welding,friction, adhesives, pins, interlocking components, etc. When the pushrod 42 is advanced by an actuation device 200 (FIG. 31), the push rod 42advances the sled 38 and the clamping member 40 along the guide shaft 36through the barrel 24 as described in detail below.

The push rod 42 has an elongated, flexible body 134 having first andsecond sidewalls 140 and is movable about the guide shaft 36. Eachsidewall 140 defines an elongated cam slot 142 that has a substantiallylinear portion 143 along a majority of its length but has an angleddistal portion 144 and a short distal linear portion 146 positioneddistally of the angled distal portion 144. The cam slot 142 receives thepivot pin 30 that pivotally supports the proximal end of the anvil 16.As such, movement of the push rod 42 in relation to the pivot pin 30moves the pivot pin 30 within the transverse through bore 50 of thecartridge housing 14 to change the position of the proximal end of theanvil 16 in relation to the barrel 24 of the cartridge assembly 12.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, although not shown, the surgical staplingdevice 10 is intended to be pivotally supported on the distal end of anactuation device 200 shown schematically in FIG. 31 such that thesurgical stapling device can be articulated about an articulation axisthat is transverse to axis “A” (FIG. 1). In order to articulate thesurgical stapling device 10 about the articulation axis, the distal endof the articulation rod 21 is connected to one of the pins 60 thatsecure the upper and lower mounting members 56 and 58 of the mountingassembly 18 together at a position offset from the articulation axis.When the articulation rod 21 is moved in the direction indicated byarrow “A” in FIG. 11, the tool assembly 26 will pivot in the directionindicated by the arrow “B” in FIG. 11 and vice versa. As illustrated,the sidewalls 140 of the flexible body 134 of the push rod 42 bendsabout the articulation axis when the surgical stapling device 10 isfired with the tool assembly 26 in an articulated position.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the lower mounting member 58 definesopenings 150. Each opening 150 receives a proximal end of a biasingmember, e.g., a leaf spring 152. Each leaf spring 152 includes a bentportion 152 a and an elongated portion 152 b. The bent portion 152 a issecurely fitted into the opening 150 of the lower mounting member 58 andthe elongated portion 152 b is positioned to engage a ramped surface 156at the proximal end of the anvil 16 to urge the anvil 16 towards theopen position.

Referring to FIGS. 14-17, the guide shaft 36 defines a plurality of camchannels 160. Each of the cam channels 160 is movable to a position toreceive the cam member 108 of the sled 38. Each cam channel 160 has asubstantially straight portion 162 that extends the majority of thelength of the guide shaft 36, an angled first guide surface 164 and anangled second guide surface 166. When the sled 38 is initially movedalong the guide shaft 36 distally from a fully retracted position, thecam member 108 of the sled 38 will engage the first guide surface 164 tourge guide shaft 36 laterally of the sled 38. As discussed above, thesled 38 includes fins 104 that extend through the slots 116 (FIG. 1) ofthe housing 14 to prevent rotation of the sled 38 within the housing 14.Thus, engagement of the cam member 108 of the sled 38 and the firstguide surface 164 of the guide shaft 36 causes rotation of the guideshaft 38 in a half indexing movement as described below. Engagement ofthe cam member 108 and the first guide surface 164 will occur prior tothe fins 104 of the sled 38 entering the barrel 24 and the pusherfingers 100 of the sled 38 entering the slots 86 of the cartridge body70 of the active cartridge 44 which would prevent rotation of the barrelwithin the housing 14. As discussed above, the barrel 24 is supported onthe on the legs 84 a of the end cap 84 which is fixedly secured to theguide shaft 36. As such, when the cam member 108 of the sled 38 engagesthe first guide surface 164 of the guide shaft 36 and the guide shaft 36rotates, the barrel 24 will also rotate. The first guide surface 164 isconfigured to rotate the barrel 60 degrees upon engagement with the cammember 108 of the sled 38. It is envisioned that if the barrel 24 wereto include more or less than three cartridges 44, the configuration ofthe first cam surface 164 and/or the cam member 108 can be changed toachieve the desired degree of rotation of the barrel 24.

After the surgical stapling device 10 is fired and the sled 38 is movedthrough a retraction stroke towards its retracted position, the cammember 108 will engage the second guide surface 166 to rotate the guideshaft 36 sixty degrees in a half indexing movement as described below.As discussed above, engagement of the cam member 108 and the secondguide surface 166 will occur after the fins 104 of the sled 38 exit theknife slots 74 of the barrel 24 and the pusher fingers 100 of the sled38 exit the slots 86 of the cartridge body 70 of the cartridge 44 thatwas just fired.

In use, the surgical stapling device 10 is moved from a “parkedposition” through a first indexing step to an “open position”. From the“open position” the surgical stapling device 10 is moved to a “clampedposition” and then through a firing stroke. After the surgical staplingdevice 10 is fired, the surgical stapling device 10 is moved through aretraction stroke wherein the surgical stapling device moves through asecond indexing step. In the “parked position”, the anvil 16 is held inclose alignment with the cartridge assembly 12. During the firstindexing step, the barrel 24 is rotated to align a cartridge with theanvil 16 as described in further detail below. In the “open position”,the anvil 16 and cartridge assembly 12 are biased open by the leafsprings 152. In the “clamped position”, the anvil 16 is moved into closeapproximation with the cartridge assembly 12. During the firing stroke,the pusher fingers 100 of the sled 38 translate through the activecartridge 44 to engage and eject the staples 90 from the activecartridge 44. During the retraction stroke, the barrel 24 is movedthrough the second indexing step to rotate a new (unfired) cartridgepartially toward the active position as described in detail below. Eachof these positions and strokes will be described below.

FIGS. 18-19A illustrate a proximal end of the surgical stapling device10 when the surgical stapling device 10 is in the parked position. Inthe parked position, the push rod 42 is in its fully retracted positionwith the pivot pin 30 positioned in the short distal linear portion 146of the cam slot 142 of the push rod 42. In this position of the push rod42, the pivot pin 30 is retained in the upper end of the through bore 50of the cartridge 14 and the upper end of the elongated slot 68 of themounting assembly 18 to hold the proximal end of the anvil 16 in closeapproximation with the cartridge assembly 12. When the push rod 42 is inits retracted position, the sled 38 and the clamping member 40 arepositioned proximally of the barrel 24 (FIG. 21) and the protrusions 125(FIG. 19A) of the clamping member 40 are engaged with the ledges 58 a ofthe lower mounting member 58 of the mounting assembly 18. When theprotrusions 125 are positioned on the ledges 58 a of the lower mountingmember 58, the beam 126 of the clamping member 40 is raised up intoengagement with an outer surface 190 of a proximal end of the anvil 16to retain the anvil 16 in engagement with the cartridge assembly 12.

In the parked position, the diameter of the stapling device 10 isminimized to facilitate insertion of the stapling device 10 through asmall diameter cannula assembly (not shown). In addition, as best shownin FIG. 19, the cam member 108 is positioned slightly proximally of thefirst guide surface 164 of the guide shaft 36. It is also noted that inthe parked position, the anvil is positioned halfway between twoadjacent cartridges 44. More specifically, one half of each of twoadjacent cartridges 44 is positioned in opposition to the anvil 16. Assuch, the pusher fingers 100 are not aligned with the cartridge slots 84of the cartridge bodies 70.

When the push rod 42 is moved distally from its fully retracted positionto move the tool assembly 26 from the “parked position” to the “openposition”, the sled 38 and the clamping member 40 are moved distallyabout the guide shaft 36 in the direction indicated by arrows “C” inFIGS. 20 and 21. As the clamping member 40 moves distally about theguide shaft 36, the beam 126 of the clamping member 40 moves from aposition in engagement with the outer surface 190 of the anvil 16 to aposition located within the concavity 16 a in the outer surface 190 ofthe anvil 16, and the pivot pin 30 moves from the short distal linearportion 146 of the cam slot 142 of the push rod 42 through the angleddistal portion 144 and into the substantially linear portion 143 of thecam slot 142. As such, the pivot pin 130 is pushed downwardly to lowerend of the through bore 50 of the cartridge 14 and the lower end of theelongated slot 68 of the mounting assembly 18 to move the proximal endof the anvil 16 away from the cartridge assembly 16. In addition, theprotrusions 125 (FIG. 19A) of the clamping member 40 move off of theledges 58 a of the lower mounting member 58 of the mounting assembly 18to allow the beam 126 to move away from the outer surface of the anvil16. In this position, the leaf springs 152 urge the anvil 16 about thepivot member 30 in the direction indicated by arrow “D” in FIG. 21.

As shown in FIG. 21, in the open position of the tool assembly 26, thefins 104 of the sled 38 are positioned proximally of the barrel 24 andthus, are not received within the knife slots 74 of the cartridges 44.As the sled 38 moves about the guide shaft 36 from the “parked position”to the “open position”, the cam member 108 engages and moves past thefirst guide surface 164. As discussed above, the retaining members 110are secured to the ends of fins 104 and extend through the slots 116formed in the cartridge housing 14 to prevent rotation of the sled 38about the guide shaft 36 within the housing 14 of the cartridge assembly12. As such, when the cam member 108 of the sled 38 engages and movespast the first guide surface 164 of the guide shaft 36, the guide shaft36 is rotated within the housing 14 to rotate the barrel 24 through afirst indexing step as indicated by arrow “E” in FIG. 21. As discussedabove, the first guide surface 164 and the cam member 108 are configuredto cause the barrel 24 to rotate a new cartridge 44 from a non-activeposition to an active position in two steps. Thus, where the barrel 24is formed from three cartridges, each indexing step rotates the barrel60 degrees such that after two indexing steps, the barrel 24 is rotated120 degrees to move a fresh cartridge to the active position. It isnoted that prior to first use, the surgical stapling device 10 isprovided with the barrel in an inactive position in which two cartridges44 are partially aligned with the anvil 16. As such, during a firstfiring of the surgical stapling device 10, a cartridge 44 is moved intothe active position in a single indexing step. After the first firing ofthe surgical stapling device 10, two indexing steps are required toposition a fresh cartridge 44 into alignment with the anvil 16.

Referring to FIGS. 23-25, when the push rod 42 is advanced to move thetool assembly 26 from the “open position” to the “clamped position”, thesled 38 and the clamping member 40 are moved distally about the guideshaft 36 in the direction indicated by arrows “F” in FIGS. 23 and 24. Asthe clamping member 40 moves distally about the guide shaft 36, the beam126 of the clamping member 40 moves from a position within the concavity16 a to a position in engagement with the outer surface 190 of the anvil16 at a position distally of the concavity 16 a to pivot the anvil 16 inthe direction indicated by arrow “G” in FIG. 25 against the urging ofthe leaf springs 152 to the “clamped position”. As the push rod 42 movesdistally through the housing 14 of the cartridge assembly 12, the pivotpin 30 moves through the substantially linear portion 143 of the camclot 142 and is retained in the lower end of the through bore 50 of thecartridge 14 and the lower end of the elongated slot 68 of the mountingassembly 18. In the “clamped position”, the fins 104 of the sled 38enter the knife slots 74 of the cartridges 44 to prevent furtherrotation of the barrel 24 in relation to the sled 38 within the housing14 and the pusher fingers 100 of the sled 38 enter the slots 86 (FIG.17) defined in the active cartridge.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, when the push rod 42 is advanced from the“clamped position” to fire the tool assembly 26, the sled 38 and theclamping member 40 are moved distally about the guide shaft 36 in thedirection indicated by arrow “H” in FIGS. 26 and 27. As the sled 38 andthe clamping member 40 move distally about the guide shaft 36, thepusher fingers 100 of the sled 38 move into sequential engagement withthe backspan 90 a of the staples 90 to force the first leg 90 b into thestaple deforming recesses 32 of the anvil 16 to form D-shaped staples 90through tissue. Concurrently, the clamping member 40 moves distallythrough the cartridge assembly 12 such that the knife 37 (FIG. 24) onthe vertical strut 124 passes through the knife slot 74 of the activecartridge 44 and the knife slot 34 of the anvil 16 to cut tissue betweenthe rows of staples 90. As the staples 90 are formed and the tissue iscut, the beam 126 of the clamping member 40 moves along the outersurface 190 of the anvil 16 to define a maximum tissue gap between theanvil 16 and the active cartridge during the firing stroke.

Referring to FIGS. 28 and 29, after the surgical stapling device isfired, the push rod 42 is moved through a retraction stroke to move thesled 38 and 40 in the direction indicated by arrow “I” in FIGS. 28 and29 proximally within the cartridge assembly 14 towards a fully retractedposition. When the sled 38 is moved to a partially retracted position inwhich the pusher fingers 100 and the fins 104 are positioned proximallyof the barrel 24 and knife slots 74 of the cartridges 44, the cam member108 (FIG. 24) engages and passes along the second guide surface 166(FIG. 14) of the guide shaft 36. When the cam member 108 of the sled 38engages and moves past the second guide surface 164 of the guide shaft36, the guide shaft 36 is rotated within the housing 14 to rotate thebarrel 24 through a second indexing step as indicated by arrow “J” inFIGS. 28 and 29. During the second indexing step, the barrel 24 isrotated to a position in which the spent (fired) active cartridge 44 ismoved partially out of alignment with the anvil 16 and a fresh (unfired)cartridge 44 is moved partially into alignment with anvil 16. Asdiscussed above with regard to the first indexing step, the second guidesurface 164 and the cam member 108 are configured to cause the barrel 24to rotate a new cartridge 44 from a non-active position to an activeposition in two steps. As such, after the surgical stapling device 10 isfired, a new cartridge 44 is rotated halfway to the active positionduring the second indexing step of the retraction stroke (FIGS. 28 and29) and, thereafter, rotated to the full active position during movementof the tool assembly 26 from the “parked position” to the “openposition” (FIG. 30) during a second actuation of the surgical staplingdevice 10.

After each firing of the surgical stapling device 10, the barrel 24 willbe automatically indexed as described above, to place a fresh cartridgein the active position. Although the barrel 24 is shown to have threecartridges 44 and each indexing step is described as rotating the barrel24 60 degrees, it envisioned that the barrel 24 may include two or morecartridges and that each indexing step should rotate the barrel 360degrees divided by 2 times the number of cartridges 44. For example, ifthe barrel 24 is formed of four cartridges, each indexing step shouldrotate the barrel 24 360 degrees divided by (2×4) or 45 degrees. Assuch, the two indexing steps of a surgical stapling device 10 with abarrel 24 formed from four cartridges 44 would rotate the barrel 24 atotal of 90 degrees to replace a spent cartridge with an unfiredcartridge.

The surgical stapling device 10 can be connected to an actuation devicesuch as the actuation device 200 shown schematically in FIG. 31 anddescribed in detail below. Alternately, the surgical stapling device 10can be connected to other types of actuation devices including manuallyoperated hand held devices, robotically controlled devices, and/or othertypes of powered or manually actuated devices. The actuation device 200includes a handle 202 including an actuator button 202 a and an adaptor204 extending distally from the handle 202. In embodiments, the surgicalstapling device 10 can be delivered in a packaged state with the toolassembly 26 in an open position and a cartridge in the active position.The surgical stapling device 10 can be loaded onto the adaptor 204 andthe adaptor 204 can be secured to the handle 202. A clinician can checkthe operability of the surgical stapling device 10 by operating theactuation device to open and close the tool assembly 26 and/orarticulate the tool assembly in relation to a longitudinal axis definedby the adaptor 204. Prior to insertion of the surgical stapling device10 through a cannula, the actuation device 200 is operated to move thetool assembly 26 of the surgical stapling device 10 to the “parkedposition” (FIGS. 18 and 19) to minimize the diameter of the cartridgeassembly 12. When this occurs, proximal movement of the sled 38 willmove the barrel 24 through an indexing step to move the cartridge fromthe active position. After the tool assembly 26 is extended through thecannula, the actuation device 200 is operated to move the sled 38 andclamping member 40 distally to move the tool assembly 26 to the “openposition” (FIGS. 20-22). As this occurs, the barrel 24 is moved througha second indexing step to move a cartridge back to the active position.Movement of the tool assembly 26 from the “parked position” to the “openposition” allows the beam 126 of the clamping member 40 and the anvil 16to move away from the cartridge assembly 12 to set a proper tissue gapbetween the anvil 16 and cartridge assembly 12. The status of the toolassembly 10 may be displayed on a LED screen 206 provided on theactuation device 200. With the tool assembly 26 in the open position,the surgical stapling device 10 can be manipulated to position the anvil16 and cartridge assembly 12 about tissue and the actuation device 200can be operated to clamp the tissue. Thereafter, the actuation device200 can be operated to fire the surgical stapling device 10. Each of thecartridges 44 of the barrel 24 may be provided with a chip 208 includingan integrated circuit that can be read by a processor 210 in the handle202 to identify when the cartridge is spent and when the cartridge isfresh or loaded with staples.

After the surgical stapling device 10 is fired, the actuation device 200can be operated to move the sled 38 and clamping member 40 through aretraction stroke and return the tool assembly 26 to the “openposition”. At this point, if the clinician requires an additionalsurgical stapling procedure, the clinician can operate the actuationdevice 200 to position a fresh cartridge 44 in the active position. Inembodiments, the actuation device may include a reload button that canbe pressed to fully retract the sled 38 and subsequently readvance thesled 38 to the “open position” to move the barrel 24 through the twoindexing steps. If the clinician determines that no further staplingprocedure is required, the actuation device 200 can be operated toreturn the surgical stapling device 10 to the “parked position” to allowfor removal of the tool assembly 26 from the cannula. The informationstored in the cartridge chips 208 will prevent firing of a spentcartridge.

While several embodiments of the disclosure have been described, it isnot intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intendedthat the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and thatthe specification be read likewise. Any combination of the aboveembodiments is also envisioned and is within the scope of the appendedclaims. Therefore, the above description should not be construed aslimiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments.Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical stapling device comprising; a housing;a plurality of cartridges coupled together to form a barrel, the barrelbeing rotatably supported within the housing, each of the cartridgesdefining a plurality of staple pockets and supporting a plurality ofstaples; an anvil coupled to the housing and movable in relation to thebarrel between an open position and a clamped position, each of thecartridges being sequentially movable into an active position inalignment with the anvil; a guide shaft rotatably supported within thehousing, the guide shaft being rotatably coupled to the barrel such thatrotational movement of the guide shaft causes corresponding rotationalmovement of the barrel; a sled movably positioned within the housing totranslate through the barrel to eject the staples from a first cartridgeof the plurality of cartridges in the active position; wherein the sledand the guide shaft are configured such that movement of the sledthrough at least one of a firing stroke and a retraction stroke causesthe barrel to rotate to move a second cartridge of the plurality ofcartridges to the active position.
 2. The surgical stapling device ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of cartridges includes three cartridges.3. The surgical stapling device of claim 1, wherein the guide shaftdefines at least one cam channel including at least one guide surface,and the sled includes a cam member, the cam member being movable intoengagement with the at least one guide surface to rotate the barrel tomove the second cartridge of the plurality of cartridges to the activeposition.
 4. The surgical stapling device of claim 2, wherein the atleast one guide surface includes first and second guide surfaces, thecam member being positioned to engage the first guide surface during thefiring stroke and to engage the second guide surface during theretraction stroke.
 5. The surgical stapling device of claim 4, whereinengagement of the first guide surface of the guide shaft with the cammember of the sled moves the barrel through a first indexing step andengagement of the second guide surface of the guide shaft with the cammember of the sled moves the barrel through a second indexing step,wherein each of the first and second indexing steps rotates the barrel βdegrees, wherein β is equal 360 divided by 2x, wherein x is the numberof cartridges of the plurality of cartridges.
 6. The surgical staplingdevice of claim 5, wherein the plurality of cartridges includes threecartridges and each of the indexing steps rotates the barrel 60 degrees.7. The surgical stapling device of claim 1, further including a pushrod, the push rod having a distal end operatively connected to the sledsuch that distal movement of the push rod causes distal movement of thesled.
 8. The surgical stapling device of claim 7, further including aclamping member operatively connected to the push rod such that distalmovement of the push rod causes distal movement of the sled and theclamping member.
 9. The surgical stapling device of claim 8, wherein thesled includes a plurality of pusher fingers and each of the cartridgesdefines a plurality of slots that communicate with the plurality ofstaple pockets, the plurality of pusher fingers being positioned totranslate through the plurality of slots of the cartridge positioned inthe active position to eject the plurality of staples from the cartridgein the active position.
 10. The surgical stapling device of claim 9,wherein the clamping member includes a hub positioned about the guideshaft, a vertical strut extending radially outwardly of the hub and abeam supported on an end of the vertical strut and extendingtransversely of the vertical strut, each of the cartridges of theplurality of cartridges and the anvil defining a knife slot, thevertical strut being positioned to extend through the knife slots of thecartridge in the active position and of the anvil such that the beam ispositioned to engage an outer surface of the anvil such that distalmovement of the clamping member within the cartridge assembly causes theanvil to move from the open position to the clamped position.
 11. Thesurgical stapling device of claim 10, wherein the sled and the clampingmember define longitudinal channels and the push rod includes distallyextending rails, wherein the distally extending rails are receivedwithin the longitudinal channels of the sled and the clamping member tosecure the push rod to the sled and the clamping member.
 12. Thesurgical stapling device of claim 11, wherein the longitudinal channelsof the clamping member have a height that is greater than the height ofthe rails of the push rod such that the clamping member is movable aboutthe guide shaft to move the beam of the clamping member in relation tothe cartridge assembly.
 13. The surgical stapling device of claim 12,further including a mounting member supported on a proximal end of thehousing, the mounting member being secured to the proximal end of thehousing and to the a proximal end of the anvil by a pivot pin.
 14. Thesurgical stapling device of claim 13, wherein the mounting memberdefines an elongated slot that receives the pivot pin and the cartridgehousing defines an elongated through bore that receives the pivot pin,the pivot pin being movable within the elongated slot of the mountingmember and the elongated through bore of the cartridge housing tofacilitate movement of the pivot pin and the proximal end of the anvilin relation to the proximal end of the mounting member and the proximalend of the cartridge housing.
 15. A surgical stapling instrumentcomprising; an actuation device; and a surgical stapling deviceincluding: a housing; a plurality of cartridges coupled together to forma barrel, the barrel being rotatably supported within the housing, eachof the cartridges defining a plurality of staple pockets and supportinga plurality of staples; an anvil pivotally coupled to the housing, theanvil being movable in relation to the barrel between an open positionand a clamped position, each of the cartridges being sequentiallymovable into an active position in alignment with the anvil; a guideshaft rotatably supported within the housing, the guide shaft beingrotatably coupled to the barrel such that rotational movement of theguide shaft causes corresponding rotational movement of the barrel; asled movably positioned within the housing to translate through thebarrel to eject the staples from a first cartridge of the plurality ofcartridges in the active position; wherein the sled and the guide shaftare configured such that movement of the sled through at least one of afiring stroke and a retraction stroke causes the barrel to rotate tomove a second cartridge of the plurality of cartridges to the activeposition.
 16. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 15, wherein theactivation device includes a handle and an adaptor supported on a distalend of the handle, the surgical stapling device being supported on adistal end of the adaptor.
 17. The surgical stapling instrument of claim16, wherein the handle is electrically powered.
 18. The surgicalstapling instrument of claim 17, wherein each of the cartridges of theplurality of cartridges has a chip including an integrated circuit andthe handle includes a processor which can read the chip of each of thecartridges of the plurality of cartridges to identify whether eachcartridge of the plurality of cartridges has been fired.
 19. Thesurgical stapling instrument of claim 18, wherein the handle includes anLED screen for indicating the current status of the surgical staplingdevice.